Any moment he expected Petra preparing him tea and something small to eat. To hear Oluo trying to come up with what to say to cheer him up. Gunther scolding him for being insensitive. Eld offering his support.

Then reality hit. And Levi was torn all over again. He was constantly reminded of this because he wasn't in his own room. Erwin brought the captain here, saying he can stay for as long as he needed.

Levi could hear talk as people did their chores in the hallway.

"Where's the captain? He's not answering his room?" Eren wondered.

"I don't think he wants to see you." Jean huffed with bite in his voice.

Levi sat up. He reached for the stupid cane. Before he could even get off the bed someone spoke.

"It's not that." Mike interjected before an argument started.

"Then why?" The titan shifter asked.

"He's with Commander Erwin. Their scents have been mixing for the last few days." Mike understood the position this would put the pair in. But he also had to prevent a fight between these two.

"You mean his office or...?" Jean trailed off and Mike didn't clarify.

"...Do you think he will let me talk to him?" Eren hoped.

Anxiety rose. Levi hated feeling vulnerable. He couldn't stand when others took pity on him. He barely tolerated Erwin.

"Wait until he comes out. He hasn't carried his usual tradition of seeing the families of his fallen squad." Mike advised.

And they went quiet. Levi could hear them still cleaning. The sound could almost lull him to sleep.

Only that he couldn't.

Part of it was due to the throbbing of his leg. It acted up again because he had moved. He laid down and rolled to the side. The irritation grew with each passing minute.

At lunch Erwin checked in on him.

"You should eat." He knew Levi was awake.

"Don't feel like it." The captain replied darkly.

"I can't have Humanity's Strongest wasting away." Erwin replied with a sigh.

"You saying that as a commander or as my brother?" Levi's hands clenched tightly.

"Both, I suppose. Maybe I shouldn't be so insensitive. It's been a while since you've been like this."

The captain turned. He had his back to the door and thus to Erwin. The commander sat at the desk. Before him was a tray with two meals on it. And a cup of tea.

"I'll start with the tea and go from there." Levi sat up, wincing as he moved his leg once again.

"You should stretch that leg out every once in a while." Erwin advised as Levi started with the bread, but couldn't stomach the smell of the stew.

"I'll look like a cripple." Levi made a face. The idea of walking around with a cane was not his idea of fun.

"I mean once the throbbing isn't so bad."

"I'll consider it if you ever need me." The captain remained stubborn.

"I might call you on that." Erwin then brought him up to date on what's happening.

"Hange has pets? I wouldn't be surprised if they wind up dead at some point." Levi was surprised that the traps worked.

"I don't think it would be from the Scouts." Erwin guessed.

"So you're banking on a wild guess to lure that Female Titan." He knew how to read the commander.

"If it can be done. And if not, then I've got a few other ideas."

"Care to share some of them?" Levi was interested.

"I'll save the ideas for late nights when you can't sleep."

"I never sleep." The captain deadpanned.

"When I can't sleep, then." Erwin chuckled as he collected the tray with their bowls and cups.

Not long after Levi's theory of Hange's pets being killed off came true. Erwin began an investigation. However it wasn't just the Survey Corps that he focused on.

One evening someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Erwin straightened the papers on his desk.

Levi remained as he was, sitting in the bed. In his hand was a cup of tea. He stared as Armin entered. The boy grew shy at the sight of the captain.

"At ease, recruit. This is where he's been cooped up during his recovery." Erwin spoke gently. "Is there something you wished to discuss?"

"...It's about the Female Titan. I think it's someone who trained with us. But she joined Military Police." Armin focused on the commander.

Levi silently sipped his tea. This evening will be interesting.

"I see. Would you care to share everything with me?"

"It all started when we were outside. The Female Titan caught up me and Reiner. She seemed to be searching. And at one point, I was on the ground. I put my hood on. And she knelt down and gently raised my hood to get a better look at me."

"And she let you live?" Levi found this interesting.

"Yes, Sir. I think she was searching for Eren."

"Then why let you live, but ruthlessly killed so many others?" Levi couldn't help the glare.

"I think it's because she didn't know them. So then it has to be someone who trained with us. I think Eren knows her, too. But he won't admit it."

"While that is something, these are still theories." Erwin wanted the proof.

"When the inspection for all our gear took place this afternoon, I was next to some from Military Police. One of them trained with us. But, her gear. Her gear wasn't hers. I recognized the gear she was using as someone else's, who is dead. He died at Trost."

"Can you really verify that this was stolen gear?" Erwin was put into a strange position.

He could arrest the girl. But the issue is that it's still down to word against word. They needed solid proof.

"Yes. But, I don't think we should arrest her. At least, not publically."

"You have a trap in mind?" Levi had to hand it to the kid. If anything he could be staring at a mini Erwin.

"...Maybe, lure her. Explain that they plan to execute Eren. Then we have her help us escort out of the inner city."

"She won't agree to the trap. Once she realizes what's going on, she will fight." Levi saw her as a trapped animal. Lethal and use everything to her advantage.

"Then Eren can fight her on equal ground and the whole city will see with their own eyes he's worth keeping alive." Armin said with conviction.

His words made the captain pause. Before that moment Armin had been uncertain. Unsure if he would sound crazy. That his theories weren't solid enough. His confidence revealed himself at the idea of saving Eren.

"...Are you one hundred percent sure that it is her?" Erwin knew this was risky.

And the Survey Corps would either be seen as a necessity, heroes that can finally shine in the light. Or hold the blame for countless lives lost and damages done by two titans fighting in the inner city.

"Yes. I am sure." Armin didn't hesitate.

"Very well. We will go over the plans in the morning, after I've had some thought to add my own precautions. I will call for you when we're ready." Erwin wanted to go over ideas with Levi.

"...If it's all right, can I help? I know I'm not strong. I'm nothing like Eren or Mikasa. Or even Jean. But I want to help as much as possible." Armin shifted his weight.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind. Fresher eyes are always welcome." The commander gave in.

Levi silently watched and listened as they went back and forth. For the most part Erwin listened to what Armin had come up with for them. When the boy began to lose confidence Erwin added his own input, even going so far to reveal he can call in the favor of Pixis so their numbers increased dramatically.

With this knowledge Armin blossomed. Levi couldn't find it within himself to interrupt that he finished his tea. Although he would like another, he didn't want to get up and leave when their conversation was interesting.

"I like this plan. Levi, think your leg has healed enough to lend help?" Erwin turned to him finally.

He considered for a long moment. Levi noted the excitement in Erwin's eyes. He sighed and gave in.

"I can't be of major help against her. But if it comes down to controlling Eren, I will do it." Levi had a strange feeling in his gut.

"You think he will go beserk?" Erwin knew the captain had good instincts.

"He can't be ruled out to go a little crazy during the fight. He's still learning to master this ability." Levi can almost picture it.

"I suppose that's well enough for me. But I want to see you stretch that leg out before we put this plan into motion." The commander gave his stare that he meant it.

Levi reached for the cane. Wordlessly he walked out to make himself more tea. He hated hobbling around. And he hoped he wouldn't bump into anyone.

Luck wasn't on his side. Levi glared at the sight of Jean and two other recruits. The two boys were stopping a girl from inhaling some food. At the table were two other girls.

"I'm not dead, yet. Stop looking like I'm a ghost." Levi spat.

Jean let go of the girl. He was too shocked at the words. The girl, Sasha, he recalled the name now, continued to eat away. The shorter boy eventually gave up and let her go.

"Oh! Captain! Did you come for tea? I'll make you some!" The blonde girl at the table stood. She began to heat the kettle while reaching for the tea.

"I'm not a cripple. I can make my own tea." Levi hated this.

"You could be grateful, you know. Being stubborn comes off as an ungrateful twat." The other girl who remained at the table commented.

"Ymir! This is the captain!" Jean hissed, trying not to be too loud.

"And? He could be the commander for all I care."

"Leave Erwin out of this." Levi snarled, glaring.

"Or else what? What you gonna do? You're not so scary with that cane - ow!"

Somehow he closed the distance between them and hit her head with the cane. The sound made most of the others flinch. Sasha for her part gulped down the food she had been chewing like this wasn't a heated situation.

Strangely that didn't piss Levi off. Instead he found a quality he could admire. She had nerves of steel. Well, for food, it seemed. But it could be harnessed for in the field too. She just needed the right guidance.

"You trained with Eren, right?" He turned to Sasha.

"Yeah. We weren't close close. But, we were the odd ones out." Sasha admitted.

"You still haven't found the right people for your new squad?" Ymir raised an eyebrow.

"The squad is for Eren. Not me. I'm just the one to handle him when things get ugly." Levi didn't care for her attitude.

"You're thinking of using the recruits that know him best." Jean guessed, crossing his arms.

"I could nominate you, too." Levi threatened and the taller boy paled.

"Hell nah! We would clash like cats and dogs." Jean waved off.

"But Mikasa would be in the squad." Ymir teased.

"...Would she really?" Jean blinked.

"She's earned her place in my squad. It's a matter of the others that I need to consider."

"You're not separating Armin from them, right? Those three have been together for a long time. That would be cruel to separate them into different squads." The blonde spoke up.

"He's earned his place tonight." Levi didn't elaborate further.

"Huh? What did he do?" Eren appeared at the door. He seemed exhausted, not having slept well since the mission outside.

"You'll see later. For now, go back to bed." The captain in him hated seeing the boy like this.

"I can't sleep, captain." Eren admitted.

"...Stalls?" Levi offered, recalling that night Erwin made them bond in the stalls.

Wordlessly Eren nodded. Levi collected his tea from Krysta, who he remembered her name then. For a while he went over names of potential squad members with Eren as they sat in the stalls.

"I like those choices, captain. I just don't want them to die because of me." Eren lowered his gaze.

"They won't. Not if I'm still breathing. I'll protect them while they protect you." Levi promised.

"Thank you, captain."

A few hours later Erwin found them. Levi awoke to the sound of familiar footsteps. He also didn't recognize two others. He blinked several times at the sight of three people of varying heights.

"Wow. I've never seen Eren so comfortable. Not since we went outside the wall." Armin commented.

"Mind one of you carry him? I can walk." Levi didn't want to burden his leg.

To his surprise the third person was Jean. And he was the one to gather Eren on his back. Levi limped alongside Erwin while the recruits went ahead inside.

"I'm glad to see you bonding with them. Jean told me you've shown interest into your decision of choosing the next squad." Erwin had pride in his voice.

"I'm surprised he even said anything." Levi was still wrapping his mind that the boy joined the two to come with them.

"He asked me if he could join your squad. I told him that's up to you."

Levi had a sinking feeling what Jean's motive was. But he had to think it over. He needed to choose everyone with the thought to specifically concern over Eren. But then he had to remind himself that hardly no one watched over the strongest of the group.

"Maybe." Levi stated. But Erwin knew what he meant.